Complacency vs growth

I am currently in a massive growth phase in my business. Where people and processes can make or break your company because you cannot do it all yourself anymore. It feels so awkward. It seriously feels like the business is going through puberty.

All of a sudden, we’re bigger, we’re stumbling, not used to this new size and strength. Sometimes we can absolutely power through an incredibly complex project. Other times for some reason there’s a massive breakdown in process and communication on the smallest simplest job. That was an absolute layup otherwise. Hell, sometimes my voice is literally cracking… thanks stress.

Most people would want to avoid this phase. They just want to be winners. They just want to be the bigger company instantly. Most people would see everything we’re going through with consistent failures. In my eyes, we are learning.

Many contractors would rather just stay as a smaller one-to-three-person company and make a lot more money to their pocket.

Some people are built to create the right safety bubble for themselves. Other people like me will perpetually feel the need to push the limits and break things to get to the next level. In doing so you learn to get comfortable in discomfort. You learn to see organization through the chaos. You learn what a true test of faith is and making sure you’re aligned with God’s will is imperative. 

The ability to get comfortable looking stupid, being wrong a lot, learning through failure, and knowing that, it is actually the steps to success. That’s what winning looks like. Nothing worthwhile comes easy and if you start feeling comfortable and cozy where you’re at, that may be a gut check to see if you need to continue growing.

I truly feel a person’s biggest internal battle is complacency. But at the same time, I also feel that’s completely OK to be complacent if that’s what you want. But for those out there that don’t feel like they fit in because they don’t like being comfortable, this one’s for you.

Don’t be afraid to look stupid. Try and try and try and try and do not stop. Just make sure you’re learning from every mistake and failure. That’s how champions are created. That’s what creates winners. Keep that mindset and find some sort of comfort in the discomfort. Keep pushing.

For those that are comfortable where they are, try taking a different look at what us crazy people are doing. Cheer us on. Support us. We might end up having a harder life than you ever had, and it may never actually work the way we wanted it to. But the difference in our success could just be as simple as your support.

For my fellow crazies or those scared to take the first step. Just do it.

Ryan Chowansky is the owner of Bluffton Builders, LLC, www.bluffton.builders.com